Monday, July 02, 2007

Tomorrow's Agenda: Having An Upper GI Endoscopy

Tomorrow, I'll be adding to the long list of medical procedures I've experienced. The gastro-enterologist I saw a couple of weeks ago is going to perform an upper GI endoscopy on me in the morning and I'm really nervous about it.

The doctor said I'll only be there for a few hours. They'll do the procedure, monitor me for awhile and then release me. It doesn't sound too major. After all, they aren't even anesthetizing me completely. Instead they're just going to sedate me to take the edge off so that I can relax while they stick the tube down my throat and into my stomach. Still, I'm feeling anxious.

The nurse gave me a brochure that explains exactly what they're going to do. I've been reading it over and over again all evening.

----------------------------------------------------------During the Procedure

You lie on the endoscopy table.

Your throat may be numbed with a spray or gargle. You are given a sedating (relaxing) medication through an intravenous (IV) line.

You swallow the endoscope. This is thinner than most pieces of food that you swallow. It will not affect your breathing. The medication helps keep you from gagging.

Air is inserted to expand your GI tract. This air can make you burp.

The endoscope carries images of your upper GI tract to a video screen. If you are awake, you may be able to look at the images. Prints of the video images can be taken. These prints are stored as a record of your exam.

After the procedure is done, you rest for a time. An adult must drive you home.

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I can do this, right? I always try to go into each procedure with the determination to be as brave as I can. After all, I've had much more dangerous things done to me, right? It's just so invasive. I'm trying to keep telling myself that this is not something that is being done against my will. If I want to, I can reschedule the endoscopy for another date. This is my choice. It's something the doctor is doing in order to help me. After it is over, I will be glad that I had it done promptly. This temporary discomfort will result in long-term benefits because it will help my doctors determine how best to treat me.

About Me

Above all else, I am proof that having an incurable cancer doesn't mean that your life is over. I am also the mother of a gifted child who has been an artist since she was born. We live in the southern part of the beautiful state of Louisiana. I'm a biology student on hiatus as I heal from treatment. Besides English, I can speak Arabic, a bit of French and Spanish and nothing more than a few phrases in German but I'm working on it. I love cats and plants even though I only have 2 of each. Some of my friends call me Tulip. You're free to do the same.